1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to pickup trucks. In particular, the invention relates to pickup trucks having tailgates that can be adjusted to various useful positions.
2. Description of Related Art
Typical pickup trucks have a truck bed, defined by a floor, a front, and two sides, leaving a rectangular opening at the rear. The rear of the truck bed is normally closed by a tailgate. Most tailgates can be opened downward to a horizontal position, or removed from the truck completely. Thus, the typical tailgate has only two possible positions, open and closed.
Unfortunately, when the tailgate is in the closed position, wind resistent is a serious problem, causing a severe reduction in gas mileage. Therefore, many pickup truck drivers remove the tailgate or drive around with the tailgate in the open position. In the open position the tailgate is horizontal and extends rearward beyond the rear bumper of the truck, thus presenting a dangerous obstacle to vehicles behind the pickup truck.
There are several reasons why a more adjustable tailgate would be desirable. If a tailgate can be moved forward from the rear of the truck bed, the size of the truck bed can be reduced. This might be useful when the cargo to be carried in the truck bed is smaller than the full sized truck bed. Also, if the tailgate can be pivoted up into a spoiler position, the tailgate might become an asset to the wind resistance of the truck, rather than a detriment.